Swab retainer



Sept. 8, 1925.

J.L.PAXTON SWAB RETAINER Filed D56. 16, 1924 F/AZ j.

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Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED .STATES. PATENT OFFICE."

JAMES L. PAXTON, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR. TO P AXTON-MITGHELL .CdM- PANY, O'F OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

SWAB RETAINER.

Application filed December 16, 1924. Serial No. 756,240.

This invention relates to improvementsin swab retainers for piston rods of the general type seen in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 1,245,764, granted November 6, 1917.

An object in view is to increase the ease of accessibility of parts, and a further object is. the saving of expense in construction by the making of the greater portion of the,

retainer of inexpensive material.

A more detail object is to enable removal of the swab withoutremoving or releasing the gland from operative position, and in cident thereto a further object is to prevent accumulations of dirt between the gland and the face of the stufilng box from falling and interfering with the proper seating of the gland. I

WVith these and further objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a swab retainer embodying the features of the present invention, the piston to which it is applied being seen in cross section.

Figure 2 is a vertical, central section therethrough, a fragment of the piston being seen in elevation.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 looking at the opposite side of the retainer.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a. piston rod extending through a packing gland 2 anchored, as usual, by studs 3, 3, and nuts 4, 4, thereon.

Outside gland 2 and contacting therewith is arranged the swab-retainer having the plate 5 having terminal apertures 6, 6, disposed to receive two diametrically-opposite studs 3, and to be retained in place by the nuts 4 thereof. Annular bosses 7, 7 surround apertures 6 and serve to space plate 5 from gland 2. The central portionof plate 5 is formed into an outstanding, annular housing 8 adapted to contain the swab 9.

the housing 8. The annulus .10 is provided with heat-radiating projections or ribs 12, 12, which also serve as spacers, being proportioned to extend to and engage the outer face of thegland 2. The plate 5 is also provided with heat-radiating spacers 13, 13, and at its upper portion with a spacing shield 14. The part 14 functions also as a heat-radiating element and serves principally to prevent foreign substances from falling between the swab retainer and the gland onto such upper portions of the piston 1 as might'possibly afford lodgment. v

Upstanding from the housing 8 is a container 15 for lubricant, and to prevent splashing of the lubricant contained, cotton waste or other absorbent material 16 is preferably kept within the container 15 and maintained in a sufiicientlysaturated condition to allow the lubricant to drip slowly from the container 15 through a passageway 17 into the material of the swab 9 at the uppermost point thereof for both gravity an capillary distribution.

It will be observed that the housing 8 and the annulus 10 have their open central portions of such a diameter as to have their edges, which are adjacent the piston 1, spaced therefrom and not in contact therewith. The anchorage of the plate 5 to the studs 3, and the seating of the annulus 10 in the rabbet 11 insures against any possible contact of said parts with the piston. To retain the swab 9 in place and prevent travel of contacting portions thereof along the piston, a disc or washer 18 is arranged just inside the housing 8, and a similar one just inside the annulus 10, or, in other words, the washers 18 are arranged at the sides of the swab 9, and said washers are preferably made of soft or anti-friction material, such as brass or the like, and proportioned to contact edgewise with the piston 1. The swab- 9 is thus effectively retained in place, while the plate 5 and the annulus 10 are made of iron or like inexpensive material. As a matter of convenience of. assemblage and conformity of the washers 18 to the contour of the piston 1 notwithstanding wear, each of said washers is preferably cross-cut, as indicated at 19 and, being of brass, possess sufiicient resiliency to snugly engage the piston regardless of Wear either of the piston or of the washers.

It will be observed that the nuts 4 of studs 8 which are engaged by the plate 5 may be removed and the plate and its connected parts detached for the renewing of the swab 9, or for other purposes, without removing or loosening gland 2, whereby many difliculties are obviated, such as the effective reseating of the gland. When the plate 5 has been detached, the plate with its housing 8 may be drawn back along the piston 1, and the annulus 10 manually removed, if not already separated from the housing, as by remaining in its former, operative position. The swab 9 is then accessible and may be manually removed and a new swab introduced. The plate 5 and its housing 8 are then slid back to their former, operative position, as seen inFigure 3, and the nuts 4 replaced. The operation is thus very much simplified over that heretofore carried out.

What is claimed is 1. A swab retainer comprising an annular housing adapted to surround a piston, the inner edge of the housing being proportioned to be spaced from the piston when surrounding the same, relatively thin, fiat, metallic washers within the housing, edge- Wise contacting with the piston, and each of a width greater than the space between the piston and the adjacent edge of the h0us-' ing so as to lap the housing, and anchorage means for the housing.

2. In swab retaining apparatus, the combination of an annular housing adapted to surround a piston, and to be detachably anchored to a packing gland for the piston, spacing means for retaining the housing spaced along the piston from the packing gland, that face of the housing adapted to be located toward the gland having an opening for the insertion and removal of swab material, a closure for the opening of the housing, and spacing means for retaining the closure in place proportioned to engage a gland to which the housing is anchored.

3. A swab retainer comprising an annular housing adapted to surround a piston and to engage a packing gland for such piston, the face of the housing toward the gland being open and having an annular seat, an annulus detachably seated therein to close said face of the housing, and glandengaging means for retaining the annulus in its seat.

i. In swab retaining apparatus, the combination, with a packing gland and a plurality of retaining studs thereof, of an annular housing anchored to certain of said studs free of other of said studs and having spacers extending toand engaging the gland, the face of the housing toward the gland being open and having an annular seat, and an annulus seated therein and having spacers extending to and engaging said gland. Y 1

In testimony whereof I affix my Signature.

JAMES L. PAXTON. 

